


The Twisted Tale

by Royal_Amethyst



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Mentions of Death, Mentions of Murder, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Romance, Royalty, There's magic - but not really, i was just having fun, this is not historically accurate
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-19
Updated: 2021-01-15
Packaged: 2021-03-12 23:16:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28768437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Royal_Amethyst/pseuds/Royal_Amethyst
Summary: Tommie Riddle was born with skin as white as snow, hair as black as ebony, and eyes as red as blood.In a world where magic had been almost completely lost, she could see herself as the princess of the story. The beautiful girl who lost her parents and was mistreated by her relatives. She was the poor girl trapped in a place where she didn't belong. Tommie only had to wait for the prince to rescue her.And that part didn’t feel right.Tommie didn’t want to be the helpless princess, she wanted to be the queen.It was just a coincidence that Marquess Harry Potter fit so well into her plans.
Relationships: Harry Potter & Ginny Weasley, Harry Potter/Female Tom Riddle, Harry Potter/Tom Riddle, Harry Potter/Tom Riddle | Voldemort
Kudos: 8





	The Twisted Tale

**Author's Note:**

> Based on this original prompt by [goldenzingy46](https://archiveofourown.org/users/goldenzingy46/pseuds/goldenzingy46):
> 
>  _Snow White was born with skin as white as snow, hair as black as ebony, and eyes as red as blood._  
>    
> _Snow White and the evil Snow Queen? One and the same._
> 
> I changed the concept and I have no beta so let's hope this isn't too bad.

Tommie Riddle was born with skin as white as snow, hair as black as ebony, and eyes as red as blood.

That should be enough of a warning. An omen of a cursed fate.

But no one could see the real color of her eyes. No one ever looked at her face.

Her mother was too busy chasing a man that abandoned her. Her grandfather prefered to pretend she didn't exist. And Tommie knew better than to be noticed for an uncle that only made fun of her.

She grew alone in a dark and cold house. So big that four people could not keep it clean. So old that it could not be sold to buy better food.

The paintings in the house spoke of a past glory, a pride in a pure lineage and endless wealth. 

Tommie said nothing when the rats started gnawing at them. 

If she had said something, maybe Merope wouldn't have gotten sick.

"My dear daughter," she said with a weak voice. "You look so much like your father. We were in love, my dear… We were so happy.”

Tommie looked at her puzzled. Her grandfather always complained of how bad daughter Merope was even after he rescued her from the streets where that filthy commoner had left her to die in the cold. How could she talk so dearly of him?

“But I ran out of ingredients..." Her ugly face twisted in pain. Would she have survived if she had not been so full of sadness? “But I know, my daughter, if Tom meets you, he’ll love you and take care of you. Just wait for him...”

Tommie’s shoulders tightened. She didn't want to be there. The room already smelled of death and Marvolo and Morfin didn't bother to visit. Why should they? No one wanted to be near Merope even when she was healthy and useful. Tommie stood up with the intention to leave, but the mother had one last gift for her dear daughter. 

With her last strength, she took out two books and a little vial of liquid with a mother-of-pearl sheen from under her pillow and gave them to Tommie. Merope looked as if she was going to say something, something important, but the words didn’t leave her mouth. She left the world with a tired face and a sigh.

Not even at the last moment did she stop seeing Tommie as an extension of her most beloved. 

She didn't see the cold red eyes or the hands shaking with frustration. 

For the next months, Tommie did her best. She hid from her relatives in the corners and stole lamps every night. She would read one of the books, the one that was full of pictures. A children's book with green covers that only talked about princesses and happy endings where the villain always lost.

Tommie could see herself as the princess of the story. The beautiful girl that lost her parents and was mistreated by her relatives. And wasn't her grandfather the Duke of Little Hanglenton? Her father had been a commoner, but she was still part of the nobility. She was the poor girl trapped in a place where she didn't belong. 

She only had to wait for the prince to rescue her. 

And that part didn't feel right.

Tommie didn't want to be the helpless princess. 

She wanted to be the queen.

Everyone loved the princess, so kind and sweet. So innocent and weak. Waiting for the love of her life, hoping for a happy ending, thinking that love was the ultimate power. 

_Waiting and waiting._

So stupid and pathetic. Just like Merope. Tommie didn't need any of that. 

The queen had the real power. If she were the queen, she wouldn't waste time on useless matters. 

And she, the Villainess, would win. 

Tommie's smile soon disappeared. The other book, the older one, was impossible to read. It had a lot of words that she had never heard or that should not go together. She even asked the old man of the village and only got a glance of distrust. not even the red bookmark left by Merope helped her to understand. With a frown, her gaze went back to the top of the page.

_«Amortentia.»_

The word meant nothing to Tommie and the description was hard to believe. 'A love potion,' it said.

What a strange tale.

✦✦✦

Tommie had been a cute child, but the years weren’t kind to her.

She wasn't ugly, but she wasn't pretty either.

The society had very clear standards of what a beautiful lady was and Tommie didn’t meet them. She was too tall and too slim. Her body lacked curves and there was nothing soft or delicate in her haughty posture, her sharp features or her cold red eyes. 

“What was that no sense that just came out of your mouth? I’m not going to marry Baron Burke.” She said with a calm expression, but the fury in her eyes was as radiant as the sun. “I’m only 18 and his old wife recently died in a mysterious way.”

The indifferent Duke continued to eat his soup as if he had not heard her.

“You should be glad he wants to marry someone like you.” Morfin added with a malicious smile. All of sudden, Tommie took her fork and stuck it to the table near Morfin's hand with such force that some of the wood broke. 

“That nasty old man only wants the locked in my neck.”

“Of course,” her grandfather finally said, looking at her with contempt. “What else do you have to offer?” Tommie didn’t fall for the provocation. She gave a fake laugh and looked down on him.

“I don't want to offer anything. He's disgusting and you're a fool if you think I’ll agree. Doesn't our blood have pride?”

The Duke stood up and hit the table in irritation, but Tommie didn’t even blink. “Don’t forget your place.” He said, his voice was firm and strong. “I only saved that pointless lump from death because I hoped she could breed with someone suitable. If you are the only option to continue the noble lineage of my ancestors... I prefer the lineage to die with us.”

The threat of violence was in the air, but Tommie wasn’t scared. He was so old that he didn't represent a real threat.

Either way, she cast one last disgruntled look at her relatives, spat in the direction of her uncle's plate and went to her room with clenched fists.

The arranged marriage wasn’t a surprise. Even though she believed in stories, she wasn’t a fool. She knew her grandfather would sell her as soon as he got the chance. That was the only reason Tommie had a roof over her head. 

She could kill them, she had no doubt. It would only take a few rat droppings in their food and act like the poor girl who lost all her family. But what would Tommie get out of it? An old mansion with a squeaky wooden floor and dirty walls, too close to a noisy train that always made the shelves shake, and a debt that grew every day.

That was how the Gaunt family had ended: In misery and oblivion. Tommie didn't want any of that. She knew she was special. She could do things that no one would dare to even imagine. The people of the village could say that she was odd and inadequate as much as they wanted, they were wrong. She was perfect. She didn’t need anyone. Besides, no one was on her level.

But if the glances of pity and superiority could be stopped, if she could live the life she deserved and escape from that pitiful place, why shouldn't she?

Tommie closed the door of her bedroom quietly. The heavy gray curtains over the window prevented the light from entering, but Tommie could clearly see her few possessions: An old desk, a single bed and a small mirror.

In a sudden rush, Tommie pulled out a small chest from under her bed. It was time. She could not delay the matter any longer.

Inside, carefully covered with fabric, was a vial and the old book whose information Tommie had not believed at first. But how could it not be true, if Merope had given her the proof?

A love potion. 

She had the recipe and an example of how it should look after it was done.

No fairy grandmother came to help her, no wonderful prince rescued her. Those were silly stories. In reality, Tommie would be her own salvation. Because if there were a man who was worthy of her, he would undoubtedly be the most powerful man in the kingdom. The man who would replace the dying king Sirius Black: The crown prince.

Draco Malfoy.

Tommie almost laughed at Merope’s stupidity. She could have had anyone and chose a worthless commoner. Hadn't she seen the same reflection in the mirror? The simple old black dress and the sickly pale complexion. Hadn't she realized that a crown would have improved the whole image?

Her smile soon disappeared. The problem was obvious. Even if Tommie had an advantage that no other lady, not even the gorgeous Astoria Greengrass, had; how could she get such ingredients in so little time? Ashwinder eggs, peppermint, powdered moonstone, pearl dust and rose petals. Merope had managed to get that somehow, but even then, how could she get the prince to drink the potion?

She had no wealth to speak of or good surname to back her up. The Gaunts weren’t even invited to the royal balls. Her family was the shame of the nobility and everyone preferred to pretend they did not exist.

She needed another way. But how? Tommie bit her lip. She needed to cancel the engagement, time and money to gather the ingredients, and a way to meet the prince. She needed someone to take her to the castle. Someone with connections to the royal family and who would not be prejudiced against the descendant of a commoner. 

Someone like Marquess Harry Potter, the infamous son of a rumored prostitute and a relative of the king. If Tommie could convince him…

All that remained was to try. And if it didn't work, then Tommie would kill his relatives and Baron Burke. The world would burn before she married that human scum.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Strictly speaking and assuming that Harry is Dorea Black's grandson, the line of succession to the throne is: Bellatrix, Andromeda, Tonks, Teddy, Narcissa, Draco, Harry and then all the Weasleys. 
> 
> Let's ignore that :D


End file.
